How We Invest

Born from a legacy of making a difference, TIAA-CREF Asset Management is a global asset manager dedicated to helping institutional and individual investors achieve their investment goals. Today, we manage $611 billion in assets with a long-term perspective and deep expertise across a wide range of traditional and alternative asset classes.1

We're one of the largest global asset managers across multiple asset classes.

Recognized for delivering consistent results

In 2013 and 2014, we received the Lipper Award for Best Overall Large Fund Company in the United States, based on three-year risk adjusted performance among 36 and 48 large investment managers.3

70% of our funds received an overall Morningstar rating of 4 or 5 stars (51.79% 4 stars and 17.86% 5 stars) based on risk-adjusted returns.4

This reflects our funds' ability to deliver consistent and competitive, risk-adjusted returns and that 100% of our mutual funds and variable annuities have expense ratios below the median of their Morningstar categories.2

1 Data as of September 30, 2014.

2 Applies to mutual fund and variable annuity expense ratios. Source: Morningstar Direct, September 30, 2014. The expense ratio on all mutual fund products and variable annuity accounts managed by TIAA-CREF is generally less than half the mutual fund industry average. 69% are less than half their respective Morningstar Universe average and 58% are less than half their respective Morningstar Universe median.

Our mutual fund and variable annuity products are subject to various fees and expenses, including but not limited to management, administrative, and distribution fees; our variable annuity products have an additional mortality and expense risk charge.

3 The Lipper Awards are based on a review of 36 companies' 2012 and 48 companies' 2013 risk-adjusted performance.

The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years' Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12 and 11/30/13, respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked against 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit the Research and Performance section on tiaa-cref.org.

4Morningstar ratings based on the lowest cost share class for each mutual fund, based on U.S. open end mutual funds; CREF Variable Accounts; and the Life Funds. For a fund or account with multiple share classes and the same pricing, the share class with the longest performance history is used. Please note Morningstar rates CREF group variable annuities within the open end mutual fund universe. Morningstar ratings may be higher or lower on a monthly basis. Morningstar is an independent service that rates mutual funds. The top 10% of funds or accounts in an investment category receive five stars, the next 22.5% receive four stars and the next 35% receive three stars. Morningstar proprietary ratings reflect historical risk-adjusted performance and can change every month. They are calculated from the fund or account’s three-, five- and ten-year average annual returns in excess of 90-day Treasury bill returns with appropriate fee adjustments, and a risk factor that reflects fund or account performance below 90-day T-bill returns. The overall star ratings are Morningstar’s published ratings, which are weighted averages of its three-, five- and ten-year ratings for periods ended December 31, 2014. Past performance cannot guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/tcfpi/InvestResearch.

Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information on this website should not be regarded as a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell any product or service to which this information may relate. Certain products and services may not be available to all entities or persons.

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2 Applies to mutual fund and variable annuity expense ratios. Source: Morningstar Direct, September 30, 2014. The expense ratio on all mutual fund products and variable annuity accounts managed by TIAA-CREF is generally less than half the mutual fund industry average. 69% are less than half their respective Morningstar Universe average and 58% are less than half their respective Morningstar Universe median.

Our mutual fund and variable annuity products are subject to various fees and expenses, including but not limited to management, administrative, and distribution fees; our variable annuity products have an additional mortality and expense risk charge.

3 The Lipper Awards are based on a review of 36 companies' 2012 and 48 companies' 2013 risk-adjusted performance.

The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years' Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12 and 11/30/13, respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked against 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit the Research and Performance section on tiaa-cref.org.

4Morningstar ratings based on the lowest cost share class for each mutual fund, based on U.S. open end mutual funds; CREF Variable Accounts; and the Life Funds. For a fund or account with multiple share classes and the same pricing, the share class with the longest performance history is used. Please note Morningstar rates CREF group variable annuities within the open end mutual fund universe. Morningstar ratings may be higher or lower on a monthly basis. Morningstar is an independent service that rates mutual funds. The top 10% of funds or accounts in an investment category receive five stars, the next 22.5% receive four stars and the next 35% receive three stars. Morningstar proprietary ratings reflect historical risk-adjusted performance and can change every month. They are calculated from the fund or account’s three-, five- and ten-year average annual returns in excess of 90-day Treasury bill returns with appropriate fee adjustments, and a risk factor that reflects fund or account performance below 90-day T-bill returns. The overall star ratings are Morningstar’s published ratings, which are weighted averages of its three-, five- and ten-year ratings for periods ended December 31, 2014. Past performance cannot guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/tcfpi/InvestResearch.

Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information on this website should not be regarded as a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell any product or service to which this information may relate. Certain products and services may not be available to all entities or persons.